The detention of 95-year-old Shincheonji Church Chairman Lee Man-hee by South Korean authorities has drawn sharp criticism from European scholars of religion and human rights experts, who argue it violates international law and damages the country's reputation as a democracy.
Chairman Lee was detained on June 24 on charges including violations of the Political Parties Act and indicted on June 30. The Joint Police–Prosecution Investigation Headquarters alleges that, between July 2021 and January 2024, he directed the mass registration of approximately 50,000 church members into a particular political party. Shincheonji Church has stated that individual members freely participated in political activities and that both Chairman Lee and the church have cooperated fully throughout the investigation.
At the Ninth Annual Conference of the European Academy of Religion (EuARe) held in Rome on July 3, a session titled "Shincheonji, a Korean New Religion in Global Context" addressed the situation. Dr. Massimo Introvigne, sociologist of religion and founder of the Center for Studies on New Religions (CESNUR), said: "In all European Union countries, legislation mandates that those older than 80 should only exceptionally be put in jail; they should be under house arrest if needed, and only for violent crimes. Here, of course, there are no blood crimes. What Korea is doing is in violation of international law, including the United Nations' so-called Mandela Rules, which mandate that preliminary detention should be the exception, not the rule, especially for elderly prisoners."
Eric Roux, President of the European Interreligious Forum for Religious Freedom (EIFRF), reiterated the injustice: "A man of 95 years old being put in jail is not something you can reconcile with respecting human dignity. Even if what you pretend he has done is true, you would not put a man of this age in prison. This should be reviewed very fast to avoid something detrimental to the reputation of South Korea."
Human rights lawyer Alessandro Amicarelli, Chairman of the European Federation for Freedom of Belief (FOB), expressed concern: "As a human rights lawyer, I always considered South Korea a true democracy where human rights are upheld. Unfortunately, what's happening now is truly shocking. We cannot accept that a religious leader in a democratic country, at age 95, has to be under this kind of pressure. It looks like South Korea is departing from its own Constitution and human rights foundation."
The case has also been raised at the United Nations. On May 25, international human rights organizations United for Human Rights and Coordination des Associations et des Particuliers pour la Liberté de Conscience (CAP-LC) submitted a joint written statement to the 62nd session of the UN Human Rights Council (Document No. A/HRC/62/NGO/236). The statement assessed that "the situation has intensified" in South Korea and noted that framing members' political registration as evidence of 'religion–politics collusion' is inconsistent with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). It also highlighted that in December 2025, the President ordered the creation of a joint task force explicitly targeting Shincheonji, and senior officials have publicly referred to the church as a 'criminal organization,' which is incompatible with the presumption of innocence.
Shincheonji Church emphasized that the detention has become an international human rights issue, with growing support and petitions from prominent figures worldwide. The church stated, 'The prompt release of Chairman Lee is a matter of safeguarding freedom of religion and human rights, which are core values of democracy.'
The implications of this case extend beyond one individual. If South Korea, often seen as a beacon of democracy in Asia, is perceived as targeting a religious leader based on non-violent allegations, it could undermine its international standing and set a concerning precedent for religious freedom in the region. The European scholars' appeals highlight the need for adherence to international norms regarding the treatment of elderly detainees and the protection of political participation rights.
